HPLC study on the carotenoid composition of Calendula products.

The authors report on the HPLC investigation of the carotenoid composition of the steams, leaves, petals and pollens of Calendula officinalis L. In the petals and pollens, the main carotenoids were flavoxanthin and auroxanthin while the stem and leaves mostly contained lutein and beta-carotene. Five different herbal tea and two tinctures made from the flower of C. officinalis L. were also investigated and the carotenoid composition of the industrial products was compared to the starting material.